An Accompanying Member is usually a permanent member of TOM who accompanies people as they explore membership, take temporary vows and consider making a permanent commitment to The Order of Mission. An Accompanying Member may be the explorer’s church or huddle leader, mentor, mission partner or friend – often the person who introduced someone to TOM. The aim of the Accompanying Member is to encourage a reflective, mature and relational process of both joining TOM as a temporary member and moving into permanent commitment to TOM (or exploring other alternatives).
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The context of this accompanied journey may be through huddle, times of retreat or mission, gatherings or simply the natural connecting points of the relationship. The Accompanying Member offers both encouragement and challenge as the explorer / temporary member reflects on what it is to be a missional leader within the community of TOM.
Accompanying Members are part of the discernment process for explorers and temporary members, particularly at the point of making the decision to join TOM as a Permanent Member. Accompanying Members may at times make suggestions regarding the journey within TOM, such as retreating, connecting with other TOM members or reflecting on specific aspects of TOM life, such as what is God saying to me about simplicity during this season? It is the responsibility of the explorer / temporary member to identify and approach their Accompanying Member and engage in this journey.
People are accompanied within TOM until they have made permanent vows and have identified a place of belonging within the community, usually through being established in a huddle. Associate Members do not have an Accompanying Member unless they are considering temporary membership.
